In 1948, two French scientists noticed something unexpected in their lab samples: fragments of DNA drifting in blood plasma. At the time, the discovery seemed trivial, even puzzling. DNA, after all, was supposed… Continue reading
You’ve likely heard people talk about “chemo brain”—or maybe you’ve even felt it yourself. It’s that foggy sensation that can make it tough to find the right word, recall a friend’s name, or… Continue reading
So few grains of happiness measured against all the dark and still the scales balance. – Jane Hirshfield “The Weighing” I’ve been reflecting on these lines from Jane Hirshfield’s poem The Weighing and how its… Continue reading
In many cultures, greetings are often seen as polite and routine exchanges. However, in some Muslim cultures, there exists a profound dimension to these everyday interactions. When someone asks, “How are you?” in… Continue reading
I discovered that today, September 16th is ‘Tattoo Story Day’. While I am not sure if this is a day that’s universally marked, it gives me the prompt I need to tell the… Continue reading
Checking my August Awareness Day Calendar, I discovered that today, August 30th is designated as Grief Awareness Day. Sometimes I feel we are awash with grief in our community. Not just in our… Continue reading
Are you looking for a new job after cancer treatment? Perhaps you left your last employment after your diagnosis, or maybe you are still in your current job but want a fresh start… Continue reading
“In a society which is much more inclined to help you hide your pain rather than to grow through it, is necessary to make a very conscious effort to mourn.” – Henri Nouwen Grief… Continue reading
T for this week’s round-up of the best of the blog posts which I’ve read over the past week. These are the posts that have moved me, taught me something, inspired me, and which I’ve wanted to share with you. Don’t forget if you have written a post which you would like readers to see, just […]
The Thing Is to love life, to love it evenwhen you have no stomach for itand everything you’ve held dearcrumbles like burnt paper in your hands,your throat filled with the silt of it.When… Continue reading
The Butterfly Effect For Marie Ennis O’Connor So close and still Quietly far away From the company Who chose you The day you heard The word we all Heard. Echoes In a canyon… Continue reading
26 posts. 26 days. 26 letters of the alphabet, one blog post beginning with each letter. H is for Hair I started this blog a few years after my breast cancer diagnosis and… Continue reading
I have written before of a certain unique description of loneliness experienced by breast cancer survivors that has been termed survivor loneliness, which can go hand in hand with depression during and after treatment. In today’s Irish Times,… Continue reading
Six weeks after Phil Mickelson announced his wife had breast cancer, his mother has been diagnosed with the disease and is to have surgery later this week. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on its Web… Continue reading
I watched “My breasts could kill me”, a two-part documentary on Sky 1 this evening, by writer and TV presenter Dawn Porter. I thought it was excellent – very informative and at the same time a deeply personal… Continue reading
Therese Borchard has instituted a regular “Mindful Monday” post at her blog, Beyond Blue. On Mindful Monday, my readers and I practice the art of pausing, TRYING to be still, or considering, ever… Continue reading
Dana Jennings is a reporter and editor at The New York Times. His postings on coping with prostate cancer appear each week at nytimes.com/well. Here Dana writes of an unexpected side-effect of cancer… Continue reading
Myths, half-truths and wives’ tales persist in medicine. Sometimes doctors and nurses even believe things that aren’t true or at least are unproven. That’s the focus of a new book, “Don’t Swallow Your… Continue reading
I am returning to this question again of what happens to us once treatment ends, as it is one that fascinates me and I never tire of hearing how others experience not just… Continue reading
New drugs known as PARP inhibitors are showing promise as treatment for some of the most aggressive types of breast cancer, according to recent research. The promise could yield a brand new direction… Continue reading
So what is this little bear doing on a blog about breast cancer? Well, I have a real soft spot for AA Milne’s creation Winnie the Pooh and friends. When the days seemed… Continue reading
A NEW programme being launched today at the Mardyke Arena in University College Cork hopes to heighten awareness of breast cancer among women along with assisting research, according to a leading cancer specialist… Continue reading
